Tonight's Movie: Coyote vs. Acme (2026)

As many of my readers will be aware, COYOTE VS. ACME (2026) has had a long road to its theatrical release.

Despite good advance industry "buzz," the movie was shelved as a $30 million tax writeoff by Warner Bros. Discovery in 2023.

In 2025 Ketchup Entertainment bought the movie from WBD, and it was finally released theatrically late last month.

Now that the movie is available, I had to go check it out, and I'm glad to say that for the most part I found it amusing and enjoyable.

To set the stage, COYOTE VS. ACME is a live-action/animation hybrid in the style of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? (1988) or SPACE JAM (1996).

Wile E. Coyote, frustrated by malfunctioning Acme products which always prevent him from catching the Road Runner, hires a law firm to sue Acme.

Attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) wants to settle with Acme's attorney, Buddy Crane (John Cena), but Wile E. Coyote insists on going to trial.

Trial won't be easy, given how hard it is to subpoena the Road Runner as a witness...and does Wile E. have an ulterior motive wanting his longtime nemesis being required to show up at the trial? One guess.

The plot becomes increasingly convoluted -- including a wild and crazy Senate hearing chaired by Elmer Fudd?! -- but most of it is quite fun.

Between the jokes and famous cartoon characters constantly popping up, it's a movie which requires suprisingly close viewing in order to fully appreciate all of the film's 103 minutes.

You've got to love "in" jokes like Kevin's law firm being named Avery, Jones & Maltese, and the inclusion of a character like "Dr. Lorre"? Perfection.

My one real issue with the movie was the central human actor, Will Forte, who was extremely bland and not a particularly likeable character as the lazy attorney who always prefers to settle.

One of the film's themes is Kevin reforming from being perpetual "loser" to something more, but it just didn't work for me. The writing and performance of the character are the movie's only real flaws, in my opinion.

Fortunately Forte was surrounded by interesting human and animated characters. Lana Condor steals the movie as Kevin's adorable niece who is serving as his intern. She's bright, charming, and sincere in her desire to help Wile E. Coyote.

I also especially enjoyed Martha Kelly as the law firm secretary; her deadpan line deliveries really tickled me. She has very funny bits, such as when the law firm is going under financially and she announces to the attorneys she's made appointments for them to donate plasma. I loved her anticipating that they'll be desperate for cash!

Wile E. Coyote's (restrained) use of signs was hilarious, and I especially enjoyed the finale between Wile E. and the Road Runner, which was not only amusing but even rather touching.

The movie was directed by Dave Green and filmed by Brandon Trost. Samy Burch's script was from a story by Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater, based on a magazine story by Ian Frazier.

Parental Advisory: COYOTE VS. ACME is rated PG.

A trailer is here.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

 ...News has been quite light during the run-up to the holiday weekend, so today's roundup will be shorter than usual!

...VCI Entertainment will be releasing Mary Pickford in THE PRIDE OF THE CLAN (1917) on Blu-ray December 15th.

...Glenn Erickson's latest CineSavant reviews include Humphrey Bogart in ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT (1942), now available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

...I've enjoyed multiple film books by David Meuel, including JOAN CRAWFORD IN FILM NOIR and THE NOIR WESTERN.  An older book of his I recently came across which looks interesting is WOMEN FILM EDITORS: UNSEEN ARTISTS OF AMERICAN CINEMA. It was published by McFarland.

...Disney's recent live-action remake of MOANA (2026), which I somewhat unexpectedly quite enjoyed, will be released on Blu-ray and DVD October 6, 2026.

...Coming from the Old Mill Press in November: MAGIC HOUR AT DISNEY by Keith Gluck, with photos by Tom Bricker.

...Over at Speakeasy, my friend Kristina discusses one of my favorite films, ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 29th column.

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TCM Star of the Month: Ricardo Montalban

The September Star of the Month is Ricardo Montalban.

Over two dozen of Montalban's films will be shown on Monday evenings in September.

In fact, Montalban's first Star of the Month day, on September 7th, will feature a day-long marathon of his films, including a number of MGM musicals featuring Montalban's fine dancing skills.

It's a great September lineup featuring movies from a 35-year span of Montalban's long career, including not only musicals but crime films, Westerns, adventure films, sci-fi, and more.

The entire schedule is below.  Please click any hyperlinked title for a full-length review.

September 7th

THE KISSING BANDIT (1949)

LOVE IS A BALL (1963)

THE SINGING NUN (1966)

FIESTA (1947)

ON AN ISLAND WITH YOU (1948)

NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (1949)

TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE (1949)

BORDER INCIDENT (1949)

MYSTERY STREET (1950)

BATTLEGROUND (1949)

MY MAN AND I (1952)

RIGHT CROSS (1950)

September 14th

LATIN LOVERS (1953)

MADAME X (1966)

SAYONARA (1947)

THE RELUCTANT SAINT (1962)

SOMBRERO (1953)

September 21st

ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI (1951)

THE MARK OF THE RENEGADE (1951)

THE SARACEN BLADE (1954)

CHEYENNE AUTUMN (1964)

September 28th

LET NO MAN WRITE MY EPITAPH (1960)

ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971)

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

SOL MADRID (1968)

THE TRAIN ROBBERS (1973)

For more on TCM in September 2026, please visit my post TCM in September: Highlights along with TCM's online schedule.

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Tonight's Movie: The Love Trap (1929) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

THE LOVE TRAP (1929), directed by the great William Wyler, was recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

THE LOVE TRAP is a cute romantic comedy which is of historical significance as a transitional silent-to-sound film.

Most of the first half or maybe two-thirds of this 71-minute movie is silent, other than some sound effects.

Next thing you know, the characters are speaking, but it's done so smoothly it takes a beat before the viewer realizes it. The dialogue then continues until the last scene of the movie.

The story finds chorus girl Evelyn Todd (Laura La Plante) fired from her show when her klutziness exasperates the choreographer.

Facing eviction, Evelyn goes to ritzy party with her friend Bunny (Jocelyn Lee), who's told Evelyn that wealthy men attend and she could end up making money. 

But innocent Evelyn, confronted with a lecherous man who wants to give her $50 and then maneuvers to get her alone, escapes without the money -- and without most of her clothes. (It's a long story involving a deliberately spilled drink...)

Evelyn arrives at her apartment building only to find that her landlord has put all of her worldly possessions on the sidewalk -- and what's worse, it begins to rain!

Enter Paul Harrington (Neil Hamilton), a wealthy young man who spots Evelyn and her predicament. He insists she take cover in his cab and then enlists other cab drivers to rescue her furniture.

Paul and Evelyn drive for hours, fall in love, and immediately marry. The only problem in the midst of their joy is his snooty family, including his uncle (Norman Trevor), a judge who was coincidentally at the party Evelyn attended. The judge hypocritically thinks less of Evelyn for having been there.

This was a sweet film in which La Plante's Evelyn is put through the proverbial wringer, suffering job loss, lack of funds, loss of her apartment (in the rain!), and having to fend off a man who deliberately spills a drink all over her party dress.

After all that, it's quite a relief when Hamilton's charming Paul shows up and immediately begins to lift away Evelyn's worries. It's a real Cinderella tale; not only is Evelyn relieved, but so is the viewer!

I also appreciated that Paul stands by his bride despite his mother's moaning about poor Paul; perhaps he could have been even stronger, but the overall story was satisfying, especially when the judge "gets his" and we realize that Paul has complete understanding of his bride's trustworthiness and creativity in delivering justice to his uncle.

La Plante and Hamilton have very good chemistry. I'd previously seen La Plante in the silent comedies POKER FACES (1926) and SKINNER'S DRESS SUIT (1929) and she's delightful again in this film. It's of note that the same year THE LOVE TRAP was released, she played Magnolia in the first version of SHOW BOAT (1929).

Like many people, I first knew Neil Hamilton as Comissioner Gordon on TV's BATMAN, so it's been quite a pleasure to discover him as a handsome leading man of silents and pre-Codes. The same year's WHY BE GOOD? (1929) with Colleen Moore is one of my favorite early Hamilton films.

The film's dialogue was by Clarence Thompson from a story by Edward J. Montagne. It was filmed by Gilbert Warrenton.

Kino Lorber's print is a 4K restoration by Universal Pictures from a 35mm nitrate print provided by the William Wyler Estate and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. It looks excellent, especially considering the movie's age.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by Jason A. Ney plus a gallery for half a dozen additional films availble from Kino Lorber.

My late father had the opportunity to see THE LOVE TRAP a number of years ago and liked it. I regret only now finally catching up with it, wishing we could have enjoyed it together, but on the other hand, what a delight to see it thanks to such a nice Blu-ray release! 

THE LOVE TRAP is an enjoyable film with the added bonus of being of historical importance, not only as a part-silent, part-talkie film but for having been an early film of one of our greatest directors. Recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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TCM in September: Highlights

It's time for a close look at the September movie schedule on Turner Classic Movies!

As I shared in my June preview, it's become increasingly challenging to obtain TCM schedule information much in advance of a month, so it's also become difficult to write my longtime "Quick Preview" posts of advance peeks at TCM schedules.

In the case of September, by the time I had information a few days ago, it seemed more sensible to simply write a single post focused on the month's highlights.

We'll see what the future holds in this regard!

The September Star of the Month is Ricardo Montalban.

Over two dozen of Montalban's films will be shown on Monday evenings starting on September 7th.

A separate Star of the Month post listing Montalban's films will appear here later this week. (Update: Please visit my post TCM Star of the Month: Ricardo Montalban.)

This month's Noir Alley lineup consists of THE YELLOW CANARY (1963) on September 5th and 6th, JEOPARDY on the 12th and 13th, THE LONG NIGHT (1947) on September 19th-20th, and ACE IN THE HOLE (1951) on September 26th and 27th.

THE YELLOW CANARY, which stars Pat Boone and Barbara Eden, was shown at the Noir City Hollywood festival earlier this year, and I'm delighted it will be making its TCM premiere. While it's not a classic, it's definitely entertaining, and Los Angeles locations are an added plus.

The TCM Spotlight theme this month is "Swashbucklers," with a fantastic lineup.

September is also the launch month for TCM's new "Films on Film" franchise. On Friday evenings a documentary on some aspect of film history will be followed by related films.

Below are just a few of this month's highlights. Please click on any hyperlinked title to read my extended review.

...The Swashbucklers series starts on Monday evening, September 1st, leading off with the best of them all: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938). The rest of the lineup is great, including THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937).

...There's a "Bachelor Party" theme on September 2nd, including the colorful BACHELOR IN PARADISE (1961) with Bob Hope, Lana Turner, and Paula Prentiss.

...On Thursday, September 3rd, TCM anticipates Labor Day a few days later with a lineup of films focused on workers. I especially recommend two relatively lesser-seen films, MILLIONS LIKE US (1943), about life on the British homefront during World War II, and THE WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS (1951), about an attempt to save a factory at the heart of a town's economic life. Both films are dramas with documentary overtones and quite interesting.

...The late Mitzi Gaynor is honored with a primetime birthday tribute on September 4th featuring a double bill of LES GIRLS (1957) and SOUTH PACIFIC (1958).

...Dave Karger's Musical Matinee on September 5th features one of my very favorite films, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954). It's a great way to spend part of the holiday weekend!

...I love how the wekened titles on TCM are fairly random. One of the movies being shown September 6th is ALL THIS, AND HEAVEN TOO (1940) which I revisited for the first time in decades at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Bette Davis and Charles Boyer star, with a nice group of child actors including June Lockhart, Virginia Weidler, and Ann E. Todd.

...The second evening of Swashbucklers on September 8th features another of my all-time favorite films, THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940) starring Tyrone Power. In addition to my review, be sure to check out the gallery of stills from the film which I compiled for a post. Tower's THE BLACK SWAN (1942) is on that evening as well; kudos to TCM for licensing some films from 20th Century-Fox for this lineup.

...On September 9th Eddie Muller hosts a lineup of films featuring dogs in honor of the Doris Day Animal Foundation. One of the movies is the delightful murder mystery/fantasy YOU NEVER CAN TELL (1951), which seems like a perfect film for Eddie to introduce. Dick Powell and Peggy Dow star.

...TCM hosts an eight-film birthday tribute to the great director Robert Wise on September 10th.  The excellent lineup includes a favorite Western, BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948), and a favorite film noir, BORN TO KILL (1947). Robert Mitchum and Barbara Bel Geddes star in BLOOD ON THE MOON, with Lawrence Tierney and Claire Trevor in BORN TO KILL.

...September 11th features a day of New York City musicals -- perhaps a way to think of New York on that date in a bit happier fashion than we've experienced for the last quarter century. I've seen all the movies showing that day, and it's a great lineup. Titles include GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933).

...September 12th's weekend lineup includes Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey in the very good, suspenseful ACTION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC (1943), about the Merchant Marine during World War II.

...Dave Karger has a new book coming out in September, 50 MOVIE NIGHTS: CONTEMPORARY STARS ON THEIR FAVORITE CLASSIC FILMS, which I'll be reviewing here. On September 13th and 20th, TCM turns the evening programming over to Dave in celebration of his book. One of the films he'll be showing on the 13th is THE WOMEN (1939), with Norma Shearer leading a deep cast.

...It's back to school season, and on September 14th TCM features a day of college-themed films including GIRL CRAZY (1943), starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

...TCM honors Leo Carrillo with a nine-film marathon on September 15th. I invite readers to visit (or revisit!) my tribute to Carrillo, who was a significant figure in California state history in addition to his acting career. Carrillo films on the schedule include THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (1938).

...Director Richard Fleischer is celebrated on September 17th. There's a great lineup including the underrated family film BANJO (1947) along with several of his better-known short film noir and crime titles. BANJO features the fine child actress Sharyn Moffett and a good supporting cast.

...On September 18th it's Greta Garbo's birthday, and the lineup will include the Lubitsch classic NINOTCHKA (1939).

...I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (1955), scheduled on September 19th, is an interesting remake of HIGH SIERRA (1941) starring Jack Palance. Check out my review for a number of photos from my visits to the movie's locations in and around Lone Pine, California.

...Dave Karger's second evening celebrating his new book 50 MOVIE NIGHTS, on September 20th, features an "out of season" showing of Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in EASTER PARADE (1948).

...A LIFE OF HER OWN (1950) is an underrated Lana Turner drama showing on September 21st. Ray Milland and Barry Sullivan costar.

...A great day of films directed by Vincent Sherman will run on September 22nd, ranging from the hardboiled Joan Crawford film THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950) to the delightful World War II Ida Lupino comedy PILLOW TO POST (1945).

...I love Walter Pidgeon, featured in a September 23rd birthday tribute. It includes MRS. MINIVER (1942), which many -- including myself -- consider to be his finest hour alongside Greer Garson.  William Wyler directed.

...There's another great day of programming on September 24th, which features several films starring Leslie Caron. Titles include the Cinderella musical THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955). For more on THE GLASS SLIPPER, check out my photo gallery.

...I love the "Crazy or Not?" theme on September 25th, which includes Jacques Tourneur's beautiful EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (1944) starring Hedy Lamarr and George Brent. The day's entire lineup is excellent.

...Clark Gable and Jean Harlow were at the top of their games in HOLD YOUR MAN (1933), showing on September 26th.

...It's very exciting that on September 27th TCM is featuring a pair of Maria Montez movies in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month: ARABIAN NIGHTS (1942) and the TCM premiere of COBRA WOMAN (1944), which was shown at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival.  Both of these Universal Pictures films costar Jon Hall and are delightful Technicolor escapism.

...The month wraps up August 31st with a tribute to director George Sidney, including a favorite Judy Garland musical, THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946).  A great cast and, like the Maria Montez films, it features glorious Technicolor.

For more on TCM in September 2026, please visit TCM Star of the Month: Ricardo Montalban along with TCM's online schedule.

Happy September movie viewing!

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Tonight's Movie: The Fast and the Furious (2001)

One of the movie series I've really enjoyed over the past decade is what's typically referred to as the Fast and Furious saga.

I first saw THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001) a decade ago and then caught up on all the films released to that point via DVD. I've seen all the more recent films theatrically, beginning with THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS (2017). 

Indeed, FAST 9: THE FAST SAGA (2021) is a special memory, one of the very first movies I saw in a theater in 2021, after 16 months of no moviegoing due to lockdowns.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS on a big screen for the first time thanks to a 25th anniversary screening at my local Cinemark Theatre.

Given that I only reviewed THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS very briefly back in 2016, as part of an action movie marathon, I thought I would return to it here in greater depth.

The movie concerns undercover cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker, EIGHT BELOW) who is working with the FBI to infiltrate the Los Angeles street racing scene. The goal: Finding suspects in a string of truck hijackings involving very fast cars.

O'Conner is a genuine fast car enthusiast, and as he becomes friends with ex-con Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), one of the suspects, he falls hard for Dom's sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), so things become a bit complicated...

I really enjoyed going back to "where it all began" and revisiting this film. Those who have only seen the later films in the series may be surprised by this movie's relative simplicity, focused on Southern California street racing.

I'll add here that the evocative filming of the Greater L.A. area is one of this movie's greatest assets; I recognized even more locations this time around than I did on my first viewing.

Information on the movie's locations may be found here. I photographed the market called Toretto's in the film while on the TCM Locations Tour in 2014; it's seen at the left under its "offscreen" name.

Walker is a very appealing, even charming hero, and the chemistry he develops with both Diesel and Brewster is one of a number of things which makes the series special.

It does seem worth noting, given Paul Walker's very sad death in a 2013 accident, there inevitably remains a certain element of discomfort watching his fast driving in this and the other films; it can't help but be a reminder, though I think the series made very good decisions on how to handle his loss in the later movies.

Without saying too much, a family member then working in Hollywood was impacted by Walker's passing, fielding unexpected, shocking media calls at our home the Thanksgiving weekend he died, so I was coincidentally among the first to learn the upsetting news of his death and thinking about it will always hit hard.

Back to the film, it does kind of strike the viewer, as the movie goes on, that we're rooting for "bad guys," as Dom, his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), and others in his circle are indeed the hijackers. (This is clear early on and not a spoiler.) And indeed, Brian starts rooting for them too.

That said, this movie is only the first chapter in a long-running story which isn't yet complete, and as the movies gradually segue into what might be termed superhero films, the anti-hero characters evolve and redeem themselves fighting for justice.

The core of goodness has perhaps been there all along; it will always amuse me that Dom is a thief who nonetheless insists that his family and friends say grace before meals, one of the nice ongoing traditions in the series. It wouldn't be a Fast and Furious movie without everyone gathering for a meal in Dom's backyard!

Taken on its own terms, though, this first movie is simply an engaging film which, as I wrote in 2016, "in some respects is different from movies I typically watch and in other ways fits right in with the older cop movies I enjoy."

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS was directed by Rob Cohen and filmed by Ericson Core. It runs 106 minutes.

This one-minute tribute video to the series highlights several favorite things, including Dom and Brian's "found family," the Los Angeles setting, and, of course, those backyard meals.

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS is available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Previous reviews in this series: THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001) (mini review), 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS (2003), THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT (2006), FAST & FURIOUS (2009), FAST FIVE (2011), FAST & FURIOUS 6 (2013), FURIOUS 7 (2015), THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS (2017), FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW (2019), F9: THE FAST SAGA (2021), and FAST X (2023).

FAST FOREVER (2028) is expected to be the final Fast and Furious film, with a release planned for 2028.

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New Western RoundUp Column: 2026 Lone Pine Film Festival Preview

This month's Western RoundUp column is now posted at Classic Movie Hub!

My new column previews this year's Lone Pine Film Festival, which takes place in Lone Pine, California, from October 8th through 11th, 2026.

This year's festival theme is "Mixing the Herd - A Corral of Movie Genres."

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to check out all the details!

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024; November 2024; December 2024; January 2025; February 2025; March 2025; April 2025; May 2025; June 2025; July 2025; August 2025; September 2025; October 2025; November 2025; January 2026 (No. 1); January 2026 (No. 2); February 2026; March 2026; April 2026; June 2026 (No. 1); June (No. 2); July 2026.

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Tonight's Movie: Montana (1950) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith, stars of the Warner Bros. Western SAN ANTONIO (1945), reunited half a decade later for MONTANA (1950).

MONTANA has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection. It was the last of Flynn and Smith's four films together, a collaboration which began with DIVE BOMBER and GENTLEMAN JIM in 1942.

This time around Flynn plays Morgan Lane, who arrives in Montana determined to be a sheep farmer.

This makes him very unpopular with the local cattlemen, as well as lovely -- and feisty -- cattle owner Maria Singleton (Smith).

Maria has lost her father and brother in the range wars, and despite her clear attraction to Morgan, she just can't abide the idea he wants to raise sheep, to the point she's willing to "go to war" against him.

Can't we all get along?

Well, given that this is Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith, of course they're going to work things out by the end of the movie's short 76 minutes.

As was the case when I saw the film back in 2014, I found MONTANA pleasant company, if nothing particularly noteworthy. Flynn and Smith's earlier Western SAN ANTONIO was superior, yet there's something to be said for spending time with this agreeable film, which is far shorter than SAN ANTONIO.

Bits of the movie are confusing, for instance peddler S.Z. Sakall pretty much vanishes from the last third of the movie.

And what was with the complicated storyline where Rodney (Douglas Kennedy) is supposed to be interested in Maria but instead we discover he's in love with the former girlfriend (Nita Talbot) of the sheriff (Lane Chandler)? Rodney and his lover have an entire scene together which seems oddly stuffed into the movie.

That said, Flynn is absolutely charming and kind in this one, and since his character dominates the movie's screen time, it's all the more enjoyable.  As of this film Flynn also hadn't yet begun to lose his looks, which frankly started sliding downhill just a couple years later. Hard living took a toll on Flynn, which his good friend Smith cautioned him about, to no avail.

Smith's character is fairly one-dimensional here, and not always photographed to best effect, though she looks spectacular in a party dress late in the film. Still, the actress's genuine affection for her costar shines through in her performance.

The supporting cast includes Paul E. Burns, James Brown, Tudor Owen, Dorothy Adams, Ian MacDonald, and Monte Blue.

In the years since I first saw MONTANA, IMDb has updated Jock Mahoney's listing to confirm that he wasn't just a stuntman, but he was specifically Flynn's double, as I suspected back in 2014. He's quite recognizable in a fight sequence which unfortunately wasn't filmed carefully enough to hide Mahoney's face.

The script was written by Borden Chase, James R. Webb, and Charles O'Neal based on a story by Ernest Haycox (STAGECOACH).

The movie was directed by Ray Enright with uncredited assistance from Raoul Walsh. It was filmed in Technicolor by Karl Freund.

The Warner Archive print is from a new 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the original nitrate Technicolor camera negatives. It looks and sounds terrific -- though fair warning that there are a good number of back projection shots in this film, which I found stood out more on this Blu-ray viewing because they're a contrast to how good the rest of the print looks.

"Warner Night at the Movies" extras were carried over from the original 2008 DVD release. They include the trailer; the cartoon IT'S HUMMER TIME (1950); a trio of Western shorts, OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS (1943), WAGON WHEELS WEST (1943), and GUN TO GUN (1944), all starring Robert Shayne; and the Joe McDoakes short SO YOU WANT A RAISE (Joe McDoakes, 1950).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...There are more classic Blu-ray releases coming from Universal, including the charming THIRTY DAY PRINCESS (1936) with Sylvia Sidney and Cary Grant; IF I HAD MY WAY (1940) with Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean; the all-star WWII extravaganza STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM (1942); and YOU GOTTA STAY HAPPY (1948) starring James Stewart and Joan Fontaine.

 

...Glenn Erickson's latest Warner Archive Blu-ray reviews at Trailers From Hell include ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT (1942) and MACAO (1952).

...I'm looking forward to THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (1983) being released on Blu-ray and 4K by Kino Lorber Studio Classics. It will be out in October. I've long owned a DVD but will enjoy a Blu-ray upgrade.

...Today Tom Cruise announced he'll be starring with Anne Hathaway in a sequel to DAYS OF THUNDER (1990), releasing in 2028.

...Travel writer Rick Steves has purchased a movie theater in Edmonds, Washington. The theater opened over a century ago.

...ClassicFlix has another interesting rare TV series coming out: LOCK UP (1959) starring Macdonald Carey and John Doucette. Volume 1, with the first 13 episodes from Season 1, will be released on Blu-ray in November 2026. The set will feature 4K restored prints from the show's original camera negatives.

...Over at Riding the High Country, Colin has reviewed Alan Ladd in CHICAGO DEADLINE (1949).

...The Los Angeles Silent Film Festival returns next month in collaboration with the American Cinematheque. The festival will take place at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre from September 11th through 13th, 2026. Films include Douglas Fairbanks (Sr.) in THE BLACK PIRATE (1926). Leonard Maltin will be honored during the festival.

...Thanks to Christine at ClassicFilmLA for alerting me to an upcoming Disney film series, Walt Disney Studies, hosted by Disney historian Jeff Kurtti at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana. The films shown will be 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951), SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960), SALUDOS AMIGOS (1942), and LADY AND THE TRAMP (1955), plus the documentaries WALT AND EL GRUPO (2008) and DISNEYLAND HANDCRAFTED (2026). Special guests will also be on hand at some of the screenings.

...Somehow I missed hearing about a 2022 biography of actress Marie Windsor titled A SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING: THE LIFE OF MARIE WINDSOR. The author is Denise Noe, and it was published by Bear Manor Media.

...Notable Passings: Some sad recent losses, beginning with singer-songwriter-actress Dolly Parton, who passed on at the age of 80. She was also a theme park owner and so much more. I can't say much about her which hasn't already been said by many, but what a great lady, life, and career...Shelley Fabares has passed away at the age of 82. Best known for the TV series THE DONNA REED SHOW (1958-65) and COACH (1989-97), not to mention her three films with Elvis Presley, I think of her most often from ANNETTE (1958) on THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, which might be where I first saw her. She was the niece of Nanette Fabray and was married to actor Mike Farrell...It was belatedly announced that Leslie Parrish, who starred in LI'L ABNER (1959), died last November at the age of 90.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 22nd column.

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